Second Chances
by CrandberryTea
Summary: This is an exploration of what would have happened if Harry had offered Draco help in the sixth book when he found Draco in the bathroom, told from Draco's point of view. Rated M for later chapters maybe. Harry x Draco
**Disclaimer:** Wouldn't be hilarious if I actually turned out to be J.K Rowling? But alas I am not and will not profit in any way from this story.

 **Chapter One**  
 **In the Bathroom**

It wasn't the first that Draco Malfoy spent his evening with his head in a toilet bowl. In fact, it was becoming more and more common. He could hardly eat more than a dry piece of toast without having his stomach try and crawl it's way out his mouth. It was too much to handle and the threats were getting worse. At first it was just pain. Then it was death. Then pain for his family. Now, his family was suffering and if Draco didn't manage to get things sorted his family would be killed, off one by one until he got the message. If nothing else, then Draco himself would be killed after everyone he had ever cared about was gone. Draco dry heaved at the thought, nothing left in his stomach to come up. He leaned back against the stall door and flushed the toilet. Trying to calm himself, just grateful that Moaning Myrtle wasn't there to feed off his misery. That only made things so much worse

It took a couple more minutes before he pushed himself up off the floor, and tried to straighten out his uniform. He didn't want people to see how badly he had cracked, it would only serve to make people suspicious. However; despite Draco's best efforts the cracks were showing. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his normally perfect hair was looking more and more unkempt. His normally crisply pressed clothing had creases, his skin had lost any colour that it had in the first place, it had an unhealthy milky look to it.

Draco pushed himself up off the floor. He had to get back to work, he had only a couple hours to work on that damned vanishing cabinet. If he could just get it working he would be free of all this stress and would be received with honours by the Dark Lord. It was just impossible. Tears filled his eyes, and he shook his head softly leaning on the sink for support. Deep down he knew that is why he was being told do it because it was impossible. This was the Dark Lord's way of punishing his father for getting caught at the ministry. Draco slammed his hands against the sink roughly and choked down a sob. "Don't" came a voice from behind him, a voice that was too amused to be soothing. Myrtle had arrived. Draco wanted to swear, but instead he clamped his mouth shut.

"Don't… tell me what's wrong … I can help you…" Myrtle offered, trying to keep the smile off her face. She seemed to have it in her head that if he died he would come and keep her company. She had said it like it was supposed to be some sort of comfort to him.

"No one can help me" Draco said, shaking. He was always constantly shaking now. I can't do it… I can't… It won't work… and unless I do it soon… He says he'll kill me" That was only the start. He looked up from the sink and into the mirror. Good lord he looked rough. So much for hiding the fact that he was breaking. He took a deep breath and lowered his head to wash his face. He splashed water on it and took a deep breath, slowly raising his head. That's when he saw something in the mirror. Not something. Someone. Someone who had been following him all year. Someone whose nose he had broken trying to warn him off of doing just this.

Green eyes, hair that had clearly never seen a wet comb, stupid glasses and ugly scar. It was just about the worst person he could imagine seeing him like this. Draco had stood there frozen for a second. He blinked his red eyes, his mind feeling slow and sluggish, it took him a moment to come up with a plan of attack. He turned, whipping his wand out of his pocket an unforgivable curse hanging on his lips, however in the next moment Draco's wand was flying across the bathroom, before he could get the words out and Harry's wand was pointed directly at him. Draco scowled and tried to figure out how to get the upper hand on the situation.

"What are you doing here?" Draco snarled, sounding absolutely frantic, there was a wild look in his eyes, he was a cornered animal and if he got the chance he would go straight for Harry's throat. "How much did you hear?" He snapped, like he actually had any actual control on the situation. Draco eyed his wand lying across the floor, trying to figure out how to get to it without turning his back on the man. Potter was staring at him like he was some sort of strange caged beast.

"I was out for a walk" Harry said, not wanting to explain his late night meetings with Dumbledore to someone he expected to be a Death Eater. "Heard someone crying. Thought I could help"

Draco snorted in disbelief. It was just so like Potter to want to stick his nose where it didn't belong under the guise of wanting to help. "Well you can just move along then. You can't help me and I want your help just as much as you want mine" He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Draco snorted in disbelief. It was just so like Potter to want to stick his nose where it didn't belong under the guise of wanting to help. "Well you can just move along then. You can't help me and I want your help just as much as you want mine" He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Willing Potter to disappear, with so much force that it made him feel dizzy. However; when he opened his eyes Harry was still standing there. Draco swallowed. "I want you out of here. You are going to cause more trouble than you are going to solve now get out before I have to make you"

Harry shook his head, "Draco I can help you. We can go to Dumbledore. I want to help you" His wand was still pointed at Draco's chest while he carefully made his way over to the man's wand and picked it up. "It's obvious that you have gotten yourself in too deep in something and need a way out. I can give you that way out Draco" Harry said rolling the man's wand in his fingers, aware that Draco was watching it intently. "Now… As a show of good faith I will give this back to you" Harry said causing Draco to scowl, the blonde didn't like being taunted with his own wand. "I can take you to Dumbledore and he will get you help"

Draco tottered on his feet a little, the light headed feeling not feeling. Draco chewed his lower lip, really he didn't have much of a choice. The way he saw it, it was either death at the hands of the Dark Lord, or death at the hands of the Order. He knew they wouldn't actually help him. He knew that they would at the very least lock him up. The Order wasn't nice to Death Eaters. Draco took a deep breath and looked around shaking his head softly. If he could just get close to Dumbledore and he could finish the job himself.

"We can go talk to Dumbledore, you can get out of this" Harry urged at Draco's silence. "Looks like you can do with a good night sleep and a good meal. Dumbledore can help you with that. Take the help"

Draco's eyes went wide. Draco could do this, Draco could take advantage of the situation. Harry would take him straight to Dumbledore. That could be it, that could be his chance. Kill Dumbledore. Maybe get Harry Potter while he was at it. The ever shrinking rational part of his brain knew that it was an insane desperate plan, but he didn't really have choices to spare. "Okay Potter, take me to Dumbledore" it was his life or the old man's, and Draco wanted to live.

-tbc-

 **Authors Note:** This is my first fanfic, so please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!


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